Terrorist threats in the Netherlands

Terrorist threats in the Netherlands

Risk perceptions and possibilities for risk communication (full text only available in Dutch)

Summary

It is unclear whether and to what extent the attacks in neighbouring countries affect the risk perception among the Dutch population. The question arises whether and to what extent the relatively long-term threat level (substantial, since March 2013) influences the risk perception of the Dutch population. Research suggests that terrorist attacks can lead to behavioural changes among the population, such as changes in mobility (for example the use of public transport or avoiding busy places) and voting behavior (Baird et al. 2015; Huddy et al. 2005; Mumpower et al. 2013; Rubin et al. 2005). It remains unclear whether this may also occur in case of a terrorist threat. Further, so far we do not know as to what possibilities the government has when communicating to its citizens about possible terrorist threats.

In order to shed light on the abovementioned voids in research, the following questions have been formulated:
"What is the risk perception of the Dutch population regarding terrorist threats?" and "What are the possibilities for the Dutch government to communicate about terrorist threats and counterterrorism policies?"